Improvement in post-office letter-boxes



E. '1. BARLOW.

POST-OFFICE LETTER-BOX.

No. 176,578. Patented April 25, 1876.

Vitnesses Inventor UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIGE ELISHA T. BARLOW, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN POST-OFFICE LETTER-BOXES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 176,578, dated April 25, 1876; application tiled December 15, 1 75.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ELISHA 'I. BARLOW, of San Francisco city and county, State of California, have invented an Improvement in Post- Office Letter-Boxes; and I do hereby declare the following description and accompanying drawings are sutlicient to enable any person skilled in the art or science to which it mostv nearly appertains to make and use my said invention or improvement without further invention or experiment.

My invention relates to letter-boxes, such as are used in post-oflice deliveries, and its object is to provide a convenient means for re moving letters from the box.

In the ordinary construction of such letterb'oxes it is necessary for the interior of the box to be large enough to admit the hand and arm of the person who removes the letters.

My improvement consists in providing each letter-box with a sliding bottom, or a sliding bottom with sides which can be drawn out like a drawer, for the purpose of withdrawing the letters contained in the box, so that they can be removed without placing the band inside the box, thus permitting a smaller-sized box to be used.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure 1, let A represent a letter box or horizontal pigeon-hole, in which letters and papers are deposited for delivery. B is the door of the box, which is kept fastened when closed by a suitable lock.

Upon the bottom of the box I place asliding bottom, C, which can, if desired, be provided with sides or partial sides D D but the front and rear ends must be left open, as the mailmatter is placed in the box through the open rear end and removed from the front end.

I prefer to make a slot, 6, in the plate or bottom C, which extends from near its front end longitudinally through its middle to near its rear end. A screw, f, is then inserted through the slot into the original bottom of the box, leaving its head above the plate. This screw will then serve as a guide and stop for the sliding bottom or drawer when it is being drawn out; but this slot and pin or screw could be dispensed with and a simple drawer open at both ends used. 7

A catch or lug, g, at the front end of the drawer or sliding plate provides a convenient handle or projection for grasping, in order to draw out the drawer. The letters which are then deposited in the box through the rear open end will be received by the drawer C l) or fall upon the sliding bottom C, and when the drawer is pulled out the contents of the box will be withdrawn, so that they can be readily removed, when the drawer is again pushed back and the door closed and locked in the usual way.

By this means I am able to economize in space, as a much smaller box can be made to answer the same purpose, while it is at the same time more convenient.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, 1s-

1. As an improvement in post-oflice delivery-boxes, the combination of an inside sliding drawer, C D, having open ends, with the ordinary pigeon-hole box A, substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. In combination with the post-ofiice box or pigeon-hole A, the sliding bottom C, with its slot e, and the guiding pin or screw f, substantially as and for the purpose described.

ELISHA T. BARLOW.

Witnesses:

GEo. H. STRONG, JNO. L. BOONE. 

